


Nothin' Like a Little Country

by hallelujah99



Series: The Goodkind-Shalifoe Family [3]
Category: The Wilds (TV 2020)
Genre: Babies, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Fluffyfest, Kids, Parenthood, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28432281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hallelujah99/pseuds/hallelujah99
Summary: Toni always knew Shelby loved country music, but she never expected this trait to be passed down to their daughter.
Relationships: Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe
Series: The Goodkind-Shalifoe Family [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088612
Comments: 22
Kudos: 246





	Nothin' Like a Little Country

**Author's Note:**

> Songs in this fic:
> 
> Somewhere on a Beach-Dierks Bentley
> 
> Life Aint Fair-Canaan Smith
> 
> Never Grow Up-Taylor Swift
> 
> Wagon Wheel-Darius Rucker (cover)
> 
> Yours-Russell Dickerson

Toni always knew Shelby loved country music. From the first “Hey y’all!” Toni had made a lot of assumptions about Shelby based on a lot of stereotypes. Many of them were proven, then eventually totally disproven, but she hit the nail on the head with her music tastes.

After their first night acapella performance, it took a while before the girls were comfortable singing together again, but there really wasn’t much else to do on the island. Although Macklemore, church songs, and all the pop hits were in Shelby’s repertoire, as time went on, she became less and less shy about busting out some country.

Toni couldn’t ever really complain then, Shelby’s accent made everything sound more or less country when she sang it, and it always sounded beautiful to Toni. Plus, singing seemed to bring her such joy, and Toni loved anything that would make Shelby smile.

One night, Shelby danced with Toni by the fire, loudly singing:

_“I’m somewhere on a beach, sipping something strong, got a new girl, she got it doing on, we drink all day, and party all night, I’m way too gone to have you on my mind”_

Toni laughed in joy at how emphatically Shelby seemed to be feeling the silly lyrics. She was acting absolutely sloshed, despite being stone cold sober. Shelby wrapped an arm around Toni’s waist suggestively as she continued.

_“She got a body, and she’s naughty, and she got me like you ain’t ever got me! I’m getting sun getting some and I ain’t slept in a week, yeah I’m somewhere on a beach.”_

The other girls whooped and cheered for their friends, who had just come out as a couple. It was a bright memory for all of them, years later.

* * *

After getting off the island, Toni’s feelings regarding Shelby’s obsession with country music soured slightly. It was all good when it was her voice, but the twang just wasn’t the same on other singers’ voice, not to mention the fiddles and banjos and whatever other synthetic instruments play over the songs Shelby loves to blast on their drives around town, while making food, while taking a shower, or any time she felt like it.

Still, when Shelby sang along, it was hard not to find it cute.

On the drive to move into their first house together, Shelby blasted a song while holding Toni’s hand, singing to her and looking over at her whenever she had a moment to take her eyes off the road.

_“If I got what I had coming, if I got what I deserved, guarantee that I’d have nothing close to good as you for sure.”_

Toni rolled her eyes at the cheesiness and country-ness of it all, but she didn’t make any attempt to change the song.

_“Either finding you was lucky, or my mama sent some prayers, guy like me, girl like you, I thank God life ain’t fair.”_

Toni stroked the back of her wife’s hand. She related to the lyrics, she did. She’d have preferred the sentiment in a rap song, but out of Shelby’s mouth, everything was sublime.

* * *

One morning, after another sleepless night, Toni walked in to find Shelby with their new baby daughter, Isla, in her arms, as she sang gently to her.

_“Your little hand’s wrapped around my finger and it’s so quiet in the world tonight. Your little eyelids flutter cuz you’re dreaming so I tuck you in, turn on your favorite nightlight.”_

“She’s barely two weeks old and you’re already exposing her little ears to country?” Toni joked. She knew that Shelby knew she loved hearing her sing to their daughter.

“It’s Taylor Swift!” Shelby replied, stroking Isla’s head.

“It’s the Speak Now album, that counts as country.”

Shelby’s shit-eating grin nearly sent Toni into a giggle fit, but she kept her resolve to act annoyed.

“See? You DO like Taylor Swift!”

Toni shrugged “Maybe I just have a thing for southern blonde girls.” She leaned over to give Shelby a kiss on her head and added “And yes I know she’s really from Pennsylvania.”

Shelby laughed before continuing her song to their daughter, well Toni sat by her feet, folding itty-bitty clothes.

_“To you, everything’s funny, you got nothing to regret, I’d give all I have honey, if you could stay like that. Oh darling don’t you ever grow up.”_

* * *

Isla had her Mommy’s-Toni’s-wild brown wavy hair, deep brown eyes, firey energy, and infectious laugh. But she had her Mama’s-Shelby’s-infectious optimism, outgoing nature, and-unfortunately-her music taste.

Toni played her every genre-classical (including recordings by Auntie Fatin), classic rock suggested by her Auntie Dot, the vaguely indie stuff Leah liked, pop, children’s music, and of course, her own favorites, rap and hip hop (despite Shelby’s regular interjection “little ears are listening!” when questionable lyrics came up).

Maybe it was hearing her Mama sing it, or maybe she just did it because she thought it was funny to annoy her Mommy, but at 5 years old, Isla was a country fan, through and through.

Dressed in a full rodeo outfit, cowgirl hat included, from their latest family trip to Texas, Isla pranced around the living room with Shelby, both singing:

_“Rock me Mama like a wagon wheel, rock me mama anyway you feel, hey, hey, mama rock me!”_

Toni sat on the couch, watching her wife and daughter. She had mastered the art of loudly rolling her eyes, and her family had mastered the art of ignoring her because they knew she loved it deep down.

Isla came up to her and tugged her hands “Sing with us, Mommy!” She asked.

“Ummm” Toni replied. Of course she wanted to, but she also wanted to keep up appearances of hating country music. Even though it was kind of impossible with her wife and daughter being so adorable.

Isla looked over her shoulder at Shelby, before looking back at Toni. “Mama wants you to.” She told her.

Toni burst out laughing, and so did Shelby. It was normal for 5 year olds to try different strategies to get their way, but that was an entirely new one. And damned if it didn’t work, and moments later, Toni was on her feet, twirling each of her girls under her arms and belting out

_“Rock me mama like the wind and the rain, rock me Mama like a southbound train, hey hey mama rock me.”_

-

That night, Toni texted the group chat a short video of Isla, in full rodeo regalia, singing “Before He Cheats”, captioned **Can’t believe I’m really raising a little hillbilly 😜**

Shelby shot her a look from across the room. “Hillbilly, really?” She said with an eyebrow raise, before tapping out a message of her own: **Isla wanted T to join us for a little country jam and when she was hesitant, Isla goes ‘Mama wants you to’ and so she did 😌**

Martha replied first: **Awww little cowgirl! ❤️ also it’s adorable the way she sees your relationship haha**

Fatin replied with a similar but more spelled out statement: **How does she keep getting cuter? Also SHE KNOWS HER MOMMY’S WHIPPED. I know she’s a smart kid but honestly that shit can be seen from a mile away.**

Toni put her phone down before the group chat could continue roasting her. “You just had to, huh?” She said as they climbed into bed.

“If I’m such a hillbilly I guess I just won’t sing to you anymore.” Shelby joked.

Toni pouted and Shelby kissed her pouting lips. “That’s what I thought.”

Toni scooted over and put her head on Shelby’s chest, and Shelby played with her hair while singing.

_“I came alive when I first kissed you, the best me has her arms around you, you make me better than I was before, thank god I’m yours.”_

Toni always knew Shelby loved country music. And when it comes from Shelby’s mouth, Toni loves it, too.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed! Major thanks to everyone who commented on my last pic, including all the love for baby Isla! Biggest thanks to user meega for coming up with this idea, I hope I did it justice!
> 
> Comments always make me feel so happy, and have inspired me to write 4 fics in one week, which feels great! I'd love some comments on this one, always makes me feel better about my decision to write instead of doing the things I really should be doing for school lol
> 
> (PS I decided to write this without looking up songs or their lyrics for some personal challenge lol if anything's wrong, my bad)


End file.
